


dancing with a stranger

by happilylourry



Category: Little Mix (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 01:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17416169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilylourry/pseuds/happilylourry
Summary: based on the song dancing with a stranger by sam smith ft. normanisinger/song-writer jade thirlwall and model leigh-anne pinnock break up over a small fight and jade goes out and has a one night stand to try and forget about leigh after a month break of being MIA to the media.





	dancing with a stranger

**Author's Note:**

> i made this for fun so i’m sorry if it’s bad

Jade was sick of laying in bed and dreading the day because it would just be another without her Leigh. It’s been about a month since they broke up that one rainy day over a small argument that Jade will never forgive herself for allowing it to end this way. All she ever does now is lay around. It felt as if there was a giant fog cloud over her mind. She couldn’t see anything but  _ Leigh _ . 

 

Being a singer-songwriter with a big following has definitely made this harder—her fans being worried that she wasn’t posting and no one but her management knew if she was on vacation or not. 

 

**@jadeswonderful** : it’s been about a month since leighade broke up and there’s been no sign of jade i hope she’s okay :((

 

**@leighadesgf** : i really hope that jade is surrounded by loved ones and is okay after this break up :(( they’ve been together for years this must be so hard

 

**@myqueenjade** : @jadethirlwall i pray that you’re okay baby!

 

Jade realized that she hadn’t been posting and that it was now even worrying her friends and family as well as her fans, but she didn’t feel like trying to put a happy image out there when she was anything but. Her fans would know that she was lying just so tabloids would stop writing about the situation and making it much bigger than it actually is. 

 

_ “Jade Thirlwall goes MIA for a month now over break up with Leigh-Anne Pinnock” _

 

_ “Did model Leigh-Anne Pinnock cheat on singer Jade Thirlwall?” _

 

They all made the situation into something else, some other narrative. Jade didn’t even want to deal with it. Her publicist is even disappointed that she isn’t posting, sending her plenty of texts to tell her to just respond to a few fans to make them feel better but she hasn’t even done that. 

 

But today was the day that she was sick of it all. It has been exactly a month and she needs to get a move on, considering she’s meant to be starting a new album soon. Her fans deserve to know the truth and that’s what she’s about to do. And maybe go out and have some fun to take the heat off her body.

 

“ **@jadethirlwall** : @myqueenjade thank you for being the sweetest. i am ok. i love you all <3”

 

The tweet blew up—faster than any of her others. She guessed that people really did care about her. 

 

“ **@myqueenjade** : @jadethirlwall OMG JADEVJEHEK HI I LOVE YOU IM GLAD YOURE OKAY”

 

“ **@jadesperfection** : @jadethirlwall omg jade we have all been so worried we love you”

 

The replies showed up so quickly that she could barely read all of them. She even got a few from her celebrity friends.

 

“ **@JesyNelson** : @jadethirlwall I’m so glad that you’re okay, hon. We’ve all been worried.”

 

“ **@HarryStyles** : Thank God @jadethirlwall is tweeting again. I can finally believe the world is alright again.”

 

“ **@LouisTomlinson** : @jadethirlwall !! You’re okay !! Thank heavens I thought you were locked up in your room by your management”

 

Because of the overwhelming love from just one tweet, Jade decided to tweet a statement to make everyone feel even more at ease from her return.

 

“@jadethirlwall: I’ve had the weirdest month of my life and it has been hard so I took a break. Thank you for caring so much. I’m ready to make a banging album for you lot xo”

 

After a while of looking at the lovely replies from fans and friends, her heart stops when a name pops up in her notifications that she hasn’t seen in a while. 

 

_ Leigh-Anne Pinnock liked your Tweet _

 

A few of her fans note the like as well, causing a frenzy in her timeline. The pain in her heart remembering that night they broke up and news broke to the media which caused an uproar in both of their fans. It was reminding of her of that exact night and it pained her to see, so she turned her phone off and decided to actually get some food from the fridge. 

 

As she stepped out into the living room, her manager, who Jade had asked for her to stay over while she was on her break so that she wouldn’t be completely alone, was sat at the couch. She looked up as she heard the creak of Jade’s bedroom door and gave her a sincere smile. “So, is today the day you fully return?” she asked her, referring to the tweet that was bright on her tablet screen.

 

Jade told her before that  _ she _ was going to be the one to decide when she comes back and when she will begin the process of a new album. She was going to decide when she was okay. So, she smiled at her and nodded her head. “Yes. I got up today feeling different. I want to better myself. But, first, I’m going out tonight.”

 

As Jade made her way to the fridge, it was as if she could just feel the negative energy that suddenly dispersed from her manager’s body from hearing that last sentence. Karen, her manager, walked slowly behind her into the kitchen, a look of disbelief plastered on her face. “You’re what?”

 

The brunette opened the fridge and grabbed the jug of orange juice before turning around to give Karen a confused look. “I want to go out. Let loose. I’ve been single for a whole month and all I’ve done is lay in my own filth and watch romcoms so I can cry about my failed love life. I just need... _ something _ .” As she was speaking, she almost felt ashamed with  _ herself _ that she wants to go out and find someone,  _ anyone _ to be with for the night. But the last feeling of pleasure, both sexual and romantic, was with Leigh-Anne and one little like of a tweet a month later wasn’t going to be enough to fill that loveless hole in her heart.

 

“You’re telling me,  _ your manager _ , that you want to go out and get drunk and fuck a random girl to feel better about your ex breaking up with you,” Karen said, basically wanting confirmation that Jade said what she thought she said. As Jade poured herself a drink of orange juice and nodded, Karen sighed loudly, making Jade look up with her eyebrows raised. “I hate to actually be your manager for once, Jade, but that will be so horrible for your image. The last articles about you are about how you’ve been MIA because of your breakup with your model girlfriend. Do you really want your comeback to begin with pictures of you with a random girl grinding on you? You do know that they will eat that alive, right?”

 

Jade knew that Karen was right, but she wanted to finally do what was right to her, or at least what she thought was right in this moment. So, she shook her head before taking a sip of her orange juice. “I’m a human and if they can’t accept that, that’s their problem.” 

 

Karen was about to complain once more but Jade was already back in her room with the door locked. She knew that the next time she would see her would be late at night before she goes out and there won’t be anything she could say then that would make Jade change her mind, so she sighed and went back to watching the television.

 

-

 

Jade put on her typical tight red dress that showed a bit of cleavage, the dress she considered the one that would get any lady she wants. Being openly gay in the music industry is a blessing and a curse, but tonight it would only be a blessing since going into a popular gay club in LA meant  _ actually getting laid _ . 

 

She stepped out, completely ignoring Karen’s judgemental eyes, and headed off to her favorite, popular gay club in LA. 

 

The night started off pretty slow as she just stayed at the bar to get herself just a bit tipsy so she could let loose the best she could. She already has seen a few paparazzi outside taking pictures of her as well as when she first stepped outside of the car to get in the club, so she knew that the pictures have already been posted online. She even checked her phone to see her notifications full of fans asking her why she’s out and looking so sad by herself and if she was mentally stable to be doing this. Shoving her phone back into her little side-bag, she got up, definitely tipsy now, and headed into the dance floor.

 

Her body moved with the beat and she felt herself get lost into the moment, not even caring if anyone was around her or judging her. Her mind finally felt like the fog of  _ Leigh-Anne _ had blown over and it felt like genuine happiness for once. Before she could get comfortable with being by herself, a blonde beauty had inched her way into the little space in front of Jade. She looked familiar but Jade didn’t care too much anymore, so she grabbed onto her hips which made the blonde happily sway her hips closer to Jade’s. 

 

As their bodies obscenely touched each other, the music got slower. The blonde turned her body around so that their chests touched and looked up at the brunette’s eyes. “I need to touch you,” she said boldly. Jade was too far gone with the touches they’ve already been having so there was no hesitation when she took the hand of the unknown-named blonde and made her driver drive them home.

 

Twenty minutes of heavy making out and the unknown blonde grinding her hips down on Jade’s while she was on top of her went by quickly and they stumbled into Jade’s home. Karen was thankfully at her own home by now since it was midnight so when they made their way inside, Jade pushed the blonde against the wall in the hallway that goes to her bedroom, stripping her of her tight,  _ too tight _ , dress. The heavy breathing and soft moans were enough to make Jade go wild since it’s something she hasn’t heard for a straight month. 

 

The night was like a blur, full of moans in mouths and heavy touching. Jade knew that she would regret this in the morning.

 

-

 

The morning after hurt like hell. Jade’s head was pounding and a handful of blonde hair was all over her face, smelling like bubblegum. It was a new scent to her.  _ Leigh always smelt of flowers _ . She shook her head and went over to grab her phone, seeing all of the texts from her manager and publicist, all disappointed in what she did as well as links of articles.

 

_ “After a long month of being MIA, Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s ex: Jade Thirlwall gets frisky with Victoria Secret model Perrie Edwards.” _

 

Pictures of Jade with the blonde she has wrapped around her body right now were attached. One had Jade and her dancing inside of the club, taken from outside of it. Another was of them kissing on the dance floor, Jade’s hands all over her body. The others were of them holding hands as they were leaving together, a smile on the blonde’s face while Jade looked too out of it to even have an emotion on her face.

 

_ So, she’s a model _ , Jade said to herself.  _ Perrie Edwards _ . She was a model that everyone knew and even Jade herself knew that name and face, she just didn’t know last night. She felt horrible, though, knowing that she really had sex with yet another model. This pop star image is really just telling its own narrative.

 

Perrie stirred awake and her big blue eyes stared up into Jade’s brown ones. “Oh, hi,” she said sweetly. Her voice was raspy in the morning and her smile was just as bright as it seemed in the picture Jade had seen. Blonde hair was on her head like a nest and Jade willingly ran her hand upon it in attempt to smooth it out. “Oh, ha, thanks. I’m sure I look like a mess.”

 

Jade laughed and shook her head, running her fingers through her own hair now, getting stuck at a knot at the ends. “You don’t at all,” she mumbled.

 

They decided to go into the kitchen to figure out what they should eat for breakfast. It was nine in the morning. Jade hasn’t been up this early since Leigh used to wake her up by opening up the curtains and tell her that the day is always as bright as you make it, even during cloudy weather. Everyday used to be bright with Leigh. Today felt cloudy, even with a beautiful blonde model standing in her kitchen.

 

Perrie was only in her underwear and a t-shirt that Jade recognized as hers and she was cooking what seemed to be a healthy (vegan?) version of pancakes. Jade didn’t even know that she had all of the ingredients stocked up in her cabinets. Even watching Perrie cook with her whole ass on display, Jade’s loveless hole wasn’t as full as she wanted it to be. She thought going and finding a stranger that she will never have to see again would fill it, but she guesses that she was wrong.

 

It was a quiet breakfast, the only sound playing was the television on a morning show. A story came up about Jade and Perrie which made both of them get even more tension in the room. They haven’t even discussed the wild night before that they had and Jade honestly didn’t even remember half of it.

 

“Is this the last I’ll ever see of you?” Perrie finally said to break the silence as the story was finished on the show. She looked over at Jade with a bit of disappointment already in her eyes as if she already knew the answer. 

 

Jade sighed, knowing she was about to have to give her the speech she used to always give one night stands before she met Leigh.  _ Wow, this narrative really  _ **_did_ ** _ write itself, _ Jade thought. 

 

“Listen, I still have a lot going on with my past relationship that I’m sure you’ve heard about. I don’t think I have the mental capacity and power to fall for anyone new,” Jade stated. “I hope that you’re not upset by that. Maybe after a while..”

 

“Sh,” Perrie shushed her before planting a kiss to the brunette’s cheek. “I understand. You and Leigh were soulmates to everyone’s eyes. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your coping process.” She got up and grabbed the plates to put them away before grabbing her clothes and putting them on her body. “You can call me if you ever think you’re ready to move on.” She smiled and gave her another kiss on the cheek. 

 

Jade said her thank you and goodbye and Perrie was out of her house. It was back to the loneliness that her house just had because it  _ was _ large and beautiful, but it was only for her now. Leigh picked out this house for the two of them to live together, but when they broke up she decided that Jade should have it. Maybe it was so it would feel like this much torture to see a new memory in every room.

 

-

 

The next day rolled around and Jade was feeling back to her depressive, lonely state, almost as if the day and night before didn’t happen with Perrie. It just didn’t seem to be enough. She hasn’t even checked her phone, knowing that there’s probably a shitstorm out there about her shenanigans with a new model. She hoped that Leigh hasn’t seen.

 

Today was her first day back in a studio. Her manager felt it was best that she had a writing session since so much  _ shit _ had been happening to her and Jade agreed completely. So, she got dressed, looked at herself in the mirror, ignored the eye bags she had, and headed off to the studio.

 

Paparazzi were already waiting as she got there. She had to hide her face from the flashing lights of cameras to make sure none of them saw her puffy face and dark circles since she barely slept and cried a little in the car. The loveless hole gets to her sometimes and it just feels like a dark, empty room that she’s trapped in, and crying always seemed to get her out of it. But, she definitely didn’t want pictures coming out of her crying a day after her one night stand pictures. 

 

The writing session was slow at first, Jade drinking a coffee that her manager had gotten her and giving the other writer that she writes with the details of her life right now. A few condolences later and he suggested that she writes about her one night stand with Perrie Edwards and why it occurred. 

 

“Like, I write about one night stands or what?” Jade asked, her mind still fuzzy from not having enough sleep and the coffee not really waking her up much yet.

 

“Write about how you were feeling before you went out to get a one night stand and because it was about Leigh,” he said. “Like a way to be like,  _ look at what you made me do _ .  _ I’m dancing with a stranger _ . Yeah?” 

 

Those words clicked in Jade’s mind and she reached for her notebook with all of her lyrics written in it. She flipped through to a blank page and started to write, the words written at the top so she wouldn’t forget:  _ Look what you made me do, I’m dancing with a stranger. _

 

“I don’t want to be alone tonight, it’s pretty clear that I’m not over you,” Jade sang in the first melody that came to mind and her second writer cheers.

 

“I’m still thinking about the things you do, so I don’t want to be alone tonight, alone tonight, alone tonight.” 

 

The first verse finally writes itself after that, as well as the chorus and then the rest of the song, all in a span of a few hours. The creative juices and emotions were running wild in Jade and she felt like she was finally herself again.

 

-

 

A few days later and everything is finalized for  _ Dancing With A Stranger _ . They decided that the release date will be the weekend that’s coming up in a few days, so Jade took the announcement to Twitter.

 

“@jadethirlwall: oh, baby, baby, I’m dancing with a stranger. Dancing With A Stranger coming out this Saturday. Get ready. :D”

 

Her mentions began to fill up of her fans getting excited for the new single of their favorite artist coming out. A few of them were even beginning to speculate that it was about her one night stand with Perrie and that she misses Leigh still. But Jade just left them with that, even ignoring Leigh liking the tweet, until Saturday.

 

-

 

“It’s been a few days after your single  _ Dancing With A Stranger _ has been released and today will be your first time performing it live, here on the American Music Awards stage, how does that make you feel?” the interviewer backstage of the awards show asked Jade. It has been a few days now that the single came out and with its success—going number one faster than any other single she’s ever had—, it also had its downfalls. Leigh’s fans gave her backlash, saying that the song was blaming Leigh for her having a one night stand, even though Jade believed she made it obvious in the song that it was a cry saying that she did this because she misses Leigh and wants them back again. But opinions will be opinions, she guessed.

 

Jade smiled as happy she could at the interviewer. “Oh, it’s amazing. Thousands of people will be watching me spill my heart out with this song as well as the millions watching at home and I find that so beautiful,” she said, although she’s really feeling nervous. Every celebrity and their mom would be there this night. Even Leigh. And that would mean singing a song about Leigh while she would be watching, and that makes Jade tremble.

 

“And as we all have been wondering since you haven’t answered any questions since the release—”  _ oh no, _ Jade thought. “would you care to explain what this single is about?” 

 

“Uh,” Jade stumbled a bit to answer but as she got glared at by her PR manager watching from the side, she fixed herself and shook her head. “It’s subjective to everyone, you know. It’s just about needing to get someone important to you off your mind because you’re clearly not on theirs, no specifics.”

 

The interviewer scoffed before laughing almost condescendingly. “Oh, c’mon, you can tell us who it’s about.” 

 

Memories of Leigh flooded her mind as she thought of something to say to throw the question away. 

 

_ Leigh had her arms wrapped around Jade’s waist as they laid together in bed, no clothes on their body and sheets draped around them. Jade was laid on top of her, her limbs sprawled everywhere on Leigh’s body. The grey sky lit the room best it could as the curtains were open all the way, the window overlooking the city of LA. Jade’s fingers were tracing shapes into Leigh’s arm, making the girl smile happily just at her touch. _

 

_ “Hey, Jade,” Leigh said, poking the top of her head lightly, making the brunette look up at her. “Do you think we’ll be together forever? Even when we become grey and old?” _

 

_ Jade thought the question was stupid so she scoffed and shook her head, sitting up a bit so she could look down at Leigh better. “Of course we will. We are the power couple of the world, my love, and I will always be in love with you.” _

 

_ “Till death do us part?” _

 

_ Jade smiled. “Till death do us part,” she said before giving her a soft kiss on her lips. _

 

Jade snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, clearing her throat. Before Jade could give her PR excuse, her manager cuts off the interviewer and they say their goodbyes to end the interview. 

 

-

 

It was time for her to go on stage and to say that Jade was nervous would be an understatement. 

 

Her palms were sweaty and she was shaking horribly while holding onto the mic stand underneath the stage. She was going to be elevated up to the stage to make a big reveal and it was making her even more nervous. She hasn’t been seen in months and now it’s like she’s doing  _ everything _ at once. Having a public one night stand, writing a song about it, releasing it, and now performing it. It was all happening so fast.

 

The announcers began to speak and Jade knew that meant it was her time to shine.

 

“Tonight’s next performer has been out of the spotlight for a whole month before showing up and shining once again with this glorious single that she will be performing for the first time tonight,” said the first one.

 

“Yes, so everyone please welcome the lovely and talented—”

 

“Jade Thirlwall!”

 

The music began before Jade was elevated up the stage. When she got up there, she smiled at everyone in the crowd that cheered so loudly for her reveal before singing along to the track.

 

It got to the chorus and she started to strut down to the catwalk part of the stage.

 

“Look what you made me do, I’m with somebody new. I’m dancing with a stranger,” she sang, her heart pounding as she felt every emotion that she felt while writing this song. 

 

The song carried on and she made sure to sing each line with every emotion that she was feeling when she wrote the song.

 

“But,  _ girl _ , I need to get you off my mind.”

 

She did a dance break with her backup dancers before the last chorus hit and sang the last words with so much emotion that tears started to form in her eyes. Visions of Leigh hit her mind as well as Perrie’s touch and how  _ wrong _ it felt and it stung her heart as if someone had finally twisted the knife that was stuck in there. The crowd must’ve noticed her emotions being high and started to cheer even louder, shouts of “I love you Jade” singing into Jade’s ears. It filled her with happiness that people cared about her and she felt a little more at ease.

 

She got off the stage and the rest of the show began as she went backstage. Her crew cheered for her, giving her comforting hugs as they noticed the tears that were now falling down her cheeks. 

 

Moments went by as she got her stage outfit off as well as fixing her hair back to the way it was before. She was alone in her dressing room when a knock came upon the door. Assuming it was her manager, she got up and opened the door wide open. Her breath hitched when she noticed the dark brown eyes staring into hers.

 

“Jade—”

 

Jade was about to shut the door in front of Leigh before she could even get a peep out of her but Leigh’s hand was faster than her, keeping the door pried open. “Could you please let me talk?” 

 

“You’re the one that broke up with me, why do you want to talk to me?” Jade asked. She didn’t know why she was being so cold. She wanted to talk to Leigh. It felt wonderful just seeing her face again, but she was just so shocked and full of emotions that her first reaction is to push her away.

 

Leigh sighed before stepping inside of the dressing room and shutting the door. She was wearing a beautiful dress that she wore for the red carpet and Jade felt amazed all over again by her beauty. “I just wanted to say that your performance was beautiful,” she stated. “And I think that your song is beautiful as well.”

 

Jade sat down on the makeup chair and shook her head. “That’s all?”

 

Leigh shook her head and stood in front of her, her big brown eyes now seeming to fill up with a few tears. “I know that you did that with Perrie because of me. And I know that I made you take that hiatus. I feel like I ruined you. I feel like I made you become a new person that I don’t like and that you don’t like either. I feel awful. I didn’t want us to end that way, I didn’t want us to end at all. It was a stupid fight that got blown out of proportion. My mom didn’t even talk to me for a week because she was mad that I broke up with you.”

 

Jade didn’t really understand what she was hearing, or she just didn’t believe that she was hearing it. “What does that all mean?”

 

The bronze-skinned woman that Jade considered a goddess walking on earth grabbed onto her hands and pulled her up so that they could be both standing, eyes connected and faces close. Jade could feel her breath and smell that smell of flowers that she was so used to. Her mind was going insane with  _ Leigh, Leigh, Leigh _ . She was so close to her and she hasn’t felt this in so long and  _ fuck _ , has she missed this. Leigh’s hands were now grazing against the skin of Jade’s arms which made Jade shiver under her touch that she had been longing for.

 

“I miss you,” Leigh said. “And it seems that you miss me too. Considering you’ve gone out with someone else and then made a whole song about it.” She laughed, warm and beautiful, just like Jade remembered it. It’s only been a month but it felt like years without her. Without her touch, without her voice, without her sounds. It felt so  _ right _ hearing and feeling her again. “It has been absolute hell without you, seeing on the news that you aren’t responding to tweets, you are never online. I was worried and felt lost without you. I’ve had this loveless hole that only you could fill.”

 

Jade smiled as he heard the words coming out of Leigh’s mouth. “It felt empty in  _ our _ house without you there. And it didn’t feel right with Perrie. It felt like I was trying to replace something that just couldn’t be replaced, and it sucked, like a lot.” 

 

Leigh chuckled at her words and nodded her head in agreement. “So..”

 

“So,” Jade repeated, her face inching closer to Leigh’s. 

 

Leigh smiled at her and instead of saying what she wanted to say, she leaned in, pressing her lips softly to the other girl. The girl that she has been in love with for years and still very much is and can’t believe that she went so long without  _ this _ . Their lips moved in sync and it felt almost like their first kiss all over again. Their hands moved along each other’s skin, Jade’s mind full of  _ Leigh _ and for once it wasn’t a fog, it was sunlight again.

 

Once they pulled away from each other, Jade let out the softest giggle and nodded her head. “Yes.” 

 

Leigh laughed, maybe a bit too loud, and raised her eyebrows at her love. “I didn’t even ask you yet.”

 

Jade smiled brightly at the beauty in front of her, the girl that she was so deeply in love with that she was so happy to see in front of her again. “But I know what you were going to say. So, yes. I want to be yours again. This time  _ forever _ .”

 

“Till death do us part?” Leigh asked, a big smile on her lips.

 

Jade nodded her head with the same smile on her lips. “Till death do us part.”

 

And then the fog finally cleared. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
